Future
by Nightglider124
Summary: Things become old. Things change and there's no way to stop those changes from happening. But, the future doesn't necessarily need to be such a scary concept, right? ONESHOT. R&R Please!


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans.

 **Author's Note:** This is a concept that gets to me every single time New Years rolls around. I like New Years but at the same time, I get a little sad because the unknown can be scary. Pft, I actually went and checked when I originally updated. I think it would be kind of obvious from the first line, gosh Nightglider, get it together. Originally written in **2015**.

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"Dudes! It's like 20 minutes until 2016!" Beastboy hollered in the main room, where the majority of the Titan network was currently located.

New Years Eve had rolled around once again and it had become a tradition for the titans to spend the evening by ushering the New Year in together. It was a night often spent with family, friends and loved ones so it seemed only right that they were all together for it.

Nightwing glanced around the main room and smiled softly, peering at all of the oh so familiar faces from over the years. Kole was sitting in the corner talking to Argent, with G'naark clinging to her arm as he still shied away from the bright lights and technology within the tower. Mas Y Menos were sprinting back and forth, mumbling speedily in Spanish with Aqualad blinking at them in utter confusion. Pantha was chatting and drinking heartily, apparently challenging Red Star to see who could ingest more alcoholic units before passing out. Kid Flash and Speedy were sitting upon the sofa, their jaws hanging open as they were completely lost in the racing game that they were transfixed on. Jinx was sitting beside Kid Flash and every now and then, her eyes would glow a faint pink which would be followed by irritated groaning from her boyfriend who kept conveniently crashing on screen when she did so.

The fearless leader chuckled at that and turned his head to glance at more of his comrades as they relaxed and enjoyed the brief pause on hectic, hero life. His eyes focused on Bushido who was hesitantly drinking his soda and blinking at Wildebeast who was supposedly trying to make conversation with the martial arts expert which Nightwing couldn't help but grin at. Hotspot and Killowat were enthusiastically discussing how their powers were a part of them rather than something they could just conjure up. Herald was sitting on the table in the corner with Jericho gesturing sign language in an attempt to make conversation. Luckily for the blonde haired boy, Herald was very skilled in the art of sign language so he was able to actually hold the conversation; a nice change of pace for the mute titan.

Dick kept inwardly reminding himself to check on Thunder and Lightening who, the last time he checked, were in the kitchen, giggling over the fact that they were making thunder clouds over the sweet, red punch. He wanted to keep on top of that; he really didn't feel like cleaning the inevitable explosion stains of red off of the kitchen cupboards.

Finally, Nightwing glimpsed at his close teammates; the ones who had become his surrogate family over the years. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at Cyborg who was standing up with his hands on his hips, trying to look all impressive in front of Bumblebee who Nightwing was pretty sure could see what the half robot was trying to achieve anyway. She had that small smirk fixed across her lips which signalled that she knew what his game was but she was going to let him continue anyway; just to humour him. As he shifted his gaze, he found Raven sitting on the edge of the counter in the kitchen, with her head tilted as Beastboy stood between her legs and from what Nightwing could gather, was excitably telling her about a recent horror movie that had been released at the movies. Dick smiled warmly at that; he was partly shocked that the two of them had been in a relationship for such a long time now. Shortly after their trip to Tokyo, Beastboy and Raven found themselves hanging out more and learning more about one another which led to new feelings, ones that they were both anxious and hesitant to act on however; time led them to where they were now. And their leader didn't feel shock in a malicious way or anything like believing they _couldn't_ last but it was simply because they were truly as different as night and day. But, he supposed that the statement of opposites attract really did hold some truth.

Nightwing frowned for a second and glanced around the room again, picking up on the lack of one person's presence in particular. He couldn't see his red headed Princess anywhere which bewildered him. She was always floating around the main room this close to the countdown, joyfully asking how long they still had to wait whilst giving him hugs and kisses as her excitement for the New Year began to bubble.

He casually glanced at his communicator, seeing that there were still 15 minutes until midnight which meant he had approximately that to find his girlfriend.

The dark haired man wandered over to Beastboy and Raven, mentally concluding that if anyone knew where Starfire was, it'd be one of the two. Cyborg was too wrapped up in Bumblebee to have noticed _anything_.

As he neared closer to the couple, Beastboy gave him a signature toothy grin, "Sup' N!" The Changeling greeted, whilst Raven simply nodded her head at him in acknowledgement.

Dick gave them a small smile, "Hey guys," He took a pause, "Have either of you seen Star? She's always in here when midnight is so close."

Beastboy shook his head, "Sorry, dude. I haven't seen her since everyone was playing Twister... God what a catastrophe that was."

Their leader smirked, "Catastrophe? Since when do you use big boy words, Gar?"

His expression narrowed but he still grinned, "Oh, ha-ha. Actually, Rae got me a word of the day calendar! It's pretty cool!"

Raven shrugged, "I just wanted to expand your vocabulary from the singular word, "Dude""

The green shapeshifter narrowed his eyes playfully, "I so say other things besides "Dude"..."

"Oh right... How could I forget "Bro""

Beastboy chuckled, "You wouldn't want me any other way, Raven. Admit it."

Raven simply rolled her eyes but she did turn towards Nightwing with raised eyebrows, "Try looking for Starfire on the roof. I'm pretty sure I heard the start of fireworks a while ago and we all know how much she likes seeing them as closely as possible."

Nightwing snapped his fingers, "The roof! Thanks Raven, I'll give it that one a try. See you guys in a while."

With that, the ebony haired boy headed for the stairs leading towards the roof. He shook his head at his own forgetfulness. The roof was one of her favourite places after all.

Pink, purple, blue, red and green flashes lit up the entire night sky causing Starfire to momentarily forget about life. She found herself hypnotized by the bright flashes of colour in the sky that were often used for momentous occasions such as tonight.

With that thought in mind, Starfire's tiny smile of appreciation for beautiful things such as the fireworks dulled a little. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she sighed, the positive sparkle in her eyes flickering out and the smile on her cupid bow lips fading until a sad frown was left in its wake.

Every other year, she was a bundle of uncontrollable joy, bouncing around the common room just waiting to welcome the New Year and to begin planning her days in said New Year.

This year, however, she had taken a depressed turn. Starfire didn't feel even a spark of excitement or happiness about this current year that would be ending in less than 20 minutes. Something had changed, actually, a number of things had changed in the last year and she was only now just realising the impact that life was going to have on her.

"You know, it's really not fun being the only guy downstairs without his girl at his side." A voice said from the door.

Starfire immediately looked up and turned towards the familiar voice and despite her mood; she softly smiled as she saw her boyfriend standing at the door. He closed it and smirked as he walked over to her.

His expression was well hidden. Dick had been watching her for a couple of minutes before making his presence known. He couldn't figure out exactly what it was yet but he was well aware that something was wrong.

Dick took a seat beside her upon the low built wall that ran around the edge of the tower's roof. She barely glanced at him, her eyes were back on the fireworks and she was clearly trying her best to hide her problems from him.

"What're you doing out here, Star? Midnight's in like 10 minutes." He informed her, gently patting her knee in a loving gesture.

"Look... The fireworks have begun already, Richard but it is not yet the midnight..." She simply pointed out, her eyes remaining on the flashes in the sky as she answered his question in her own roundabout way.

Dick smiled, "Yeah, I think they do that so they can get everyone excited and warmed up for the big countdown."

Starfire nodded, half heartedly, her gaze falling to rest on the calm waves down below which aided her slightly in feeling more calm. Her frown remained and Dick felt his expression mirror hers.

He gently reached out and took her hand in his, "Star?"

"Hm?"

"Tell me what's wrong, baby... You normally love New Years Eve."

Starfire turned to him with a smile on her face but she knew he could see right through her. The Tamaranian Princess faltered and as she stared into his eyes, her cheerful demeanour evaporated. Her face fell and she sighed, shakily.

She turned her head and looked out towards the moonlit horizon, hoping her troubles and concerns could be washed away like the sand at the bottom of the tower.

"Everything, Richard..." She whispered,

Dick's eyes widened for a moment, he thought things were going really well for them as well as the team.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything is becoming different and... I... I am so very afraid of that." Starfire hiccupped as unexpected tears began to stream down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hand as her control over her own emotions slipped.

Dick's blue eyes saddened and he shuffled closer, bringing her into a sweet embrace. He rubbed her back and kissed her temple, "Hey, hey... What's brought this on?" He hushed, holding her as closely as possible to remind her that she could tell him anything.

Starfire sniffled and sat back ever so slightly, "The bringing of the New Year... It has reminded me... We are getting older and things will be changing... I fear so many things which may link to such changes..."

He raised an eyebrow and exhaled slowly, understanding what she was talking about.

"You're worried about the future?"

She nodded and swallowed a lump in her throat, "Wh-What is to happen to our team... Our family... You and I... Not knowing... It causes me so much fear and... And-" She trailed off as fresh tears began to spill.

Dick smiled sympathetically and he brushed her tears away with his thumb. He understood her fears; he felt it too. She was right; it was only a matter of time before they all reached the point of change. The Titans were no longer teens and in turn, it meant that each of their purposes in life was beginning to change. Relationships were a cause in change also as he was well aware that Garfield and Raven were considering taking an absence from the team to travel Africa in order for Gar to feel closer to his parents and what they did over there.

He also knew that Vic was becoming more useful down at Star Labs what with his intense knowledge on technology and science. It seemed wrong to hold him back from pursuing that simply because they didn't want to deal with changes in their life.

Starfire sighed and shook her head slowly, "Perhaps I am being the silly but... I first considered how our lives would be changing within the future when you altered your heroic identity..."

"You've been thinking about all of this since I changed to Nightwing? But, Star, that was years ago. How-"

Her shoulders sagged, "I pushed such thoughts away at the time, believing that the time would not come for such important decisions. I suppose for some reason, I believed we would be immune to the concept of growing up..."

Dick leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose, before resting his forehead against hers, "No one's invincible when it comes to growing up, Star... It's just the way it works... People grow and things change."

Starfire closed her eyes and her bottom lip trembled, "I do not wish to be alone, Richard... I do not wish to lose the people I have come to love so much."

He leaned back and looked at her, raising his eyebrows in surprise. The mere thought that they would ever separate and lose contact was absurd.

"Is that what scares you most? You think that with change will come loss?" He murmured, pushing some of her hair behind her ear.

Starfire nodded slowly.

"Star?" He queried, gaining no response from her, "Star, look at me."

The Princess sniffled before slowly glancing up at him, his eyes locking with hers for the first time since he had come out to find her. He cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers in a brief yet tender moment.

"I can promise you that that's never going to happen. Even if the titans are miles apart from each other... We'll always be a family and we'll never lose contact." He paused and rolled his eyes, "Imagine if Gar and Vic didn't see each other just to play a gaming marathon... The world would probably implode or something."

Starfire gave into a tiny giggle, her heart swelling and her mind beginning to ease.

"And I do know one thing for sure... I'm never going to leave you. I wanna spend my life with you, Princess; whether you like it or not." He smirked,

She smiled timidly and exaggerated a sigh, "You have always been persistent."

Dick chuckled and peppered kisses over her face.

"You'll never be alone, Star. I can promise you that without a shadow of doubt." He whispered, his fingers tangling in her mass of auburn hair.

"I dislike not knowing what the future holds is all... I have had these thoughts and feelings building up for a while... It is... I am unprepared for such change, Richard."

He smiled softly and stroked her cheek, "But, you know, the future doesn't have to be frightening, Star. It can be exciting too... I mean..." He trailed off, gently taking her hands within his, "I like to think of our future together in an exciting way... There's a lot I want to do with you... Make a lot of memories and go to a lot of different places... Then, you know... I wouldn't be against maybe... One day... getting married and expanding our little family... If you wanted to, of course."

Starfire stared at him for a long moment, her emerald orbs now free from tears and Dick felt his heart pound in his chest. He suddenly felt nervous; that his futuristic suggestion had scared her even more.

His fears were extinguished however as she broke out into one of her incandescent smiles. The golden skinned beauty blinked timidly at him, "You truly wish for such things in our future?"

Dick shuffled closer so that his face was merely inches from hers, "Of course I do, Star." He paused and tilted his head at her, "I love you."

She smiled in content at the way he made that statement sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was of course; she knew he loved her and she loved him just as much. When he spoke of the future like that, it did seem tempting and very exciting, rather than concerning.

Starfire lifted her hand and gently touched his cheek, caressing his skin before he dipped his face towards her and captured her lips with his own. One of his hands found her waist whilst his other hand snuck up behind her to cup the back of her head. Starfire gave a relieved exhale into his mouth which caused Dick too, to feel happier, knowing that she was feeling better. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, silently asking for permission inside. She giggled quietly and obliged him, allowing him to take control of their kiss.

Multiple bangs and bright flashes from the dark sky is what made them break apart. They slowly turned their heads to glance up at the firework display whilst they faintly listened to their friends cheering and whooping downstairs. Dick raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his communicator where the time beeped at him.

"Oh, would you look at that... It's midnight." Dick informed her, smirking, "Happy New Year, Star."

Starfire shyly smiled back at him, "And the Happy New Year to you also, Richard... May we have... An exciting future."

Dick nuzzled her cheek, "That's my girl."

The Princess giggled and her fingers found their way into his dark locks, gently stroking and tugging his hair in a gentle and tender gesture. Dick closed his eyes and leaned against her touch, craving more of it. Starfire smiled softly at him but rolled her eyes,

"Come, Richard... We should go and see our friends and celebrate the New Year with them." She suggested,

Dick shrugged and had an expression like he was considering it before he swiftly grabbed her waist and brought her down onto his lap, grinning at the yelp and squeal of surprise that she gave into.

"I'd rather stay out here with you for a little longer, to be honest." He admitted, kissing her shoulder before lifting his eyes to meet hers.

"I do not suppose I would be terribly adverse to that idea either..." She whispered, raking her fingers up the back of his neck, sending a jolt of electricity through him.

"Ah, so we have an understanding." He replied, smirking as he leaned in to kiss her anew. He held her waist tightly, not wanting her to slip away from him any time soon.

The future may have its scary elements of being the unknown but it holds excitement and she was all the excitement he needed in his life. She was _his_ future and he hoped change for them in the near future would be the exchanging of vows and the pitter patter of little feet. No, he wasn't worried about the future... In fact, he couldn't wait for what it would bring...


End file.
